Tag Archives: train

The Emerald Express

On Monday I was completing my last butterfly transect of the year, my once-a-week walk recording butterflies for the National Biodiversity Data Centre. I finished at the beach, where I found an unusual number of cars parked, yet not many people around. There was a very noticeable shimmering mirage caused by the unusual heat that day, and the warming of the sand, rock and air by the unfiltered sun. And then there was the loud wail of a train sounding its horn in the distance. Suddenly people began apearing from everywhere, and many had cameras. I realised the engine was an older one, but immaculately clean – it was Emerald Express. Somehow, by sheer coincidence, I had arrived on the beach by the railway on one of the two days per year when the Emerald Express travels south from Dublin, through Wicklow, en route to Waterford City.

   I had heard that the Emerald Express is pulled by an Emerald Green No. 71 engine, but, it seems, this had been replaced temporarily by a classic orange Irish Rail No. 73 engine. It still bore the sign ‘Emerald CIE Express’ on the front. What is the Emerald Express? Believe it or not, this train is the means by which the most luxurious heritage tour of Ireland is undertaken. For the princely sum of €5,999 (currently) per person you can see Ireland in five star luxury on this extremely posh presidential train, stopping off to stay in a castle for each night of your eight-day scenic journey of Ireland. And don’t worry about overcrowding – only a maximum of 50 guests are allowed travel on any tour! It’s out of my league, but if you love trains, castles, and being pampered then you might want to look it up. It only travels twice a year, once in May and once in September, so far. However, I suspect, if demand goes up, it will become a more common sight. But who has that kind of money! Clearly somebody does. As for me –  I’ll stick to the DART for now.